Rocket's Rise
by Pokemaster0011
Summary: Jace's only Pokémon, an Eevee, has been killed by one of the founding members of a darker, fiercer Team Rocket. When both of his parents go missing, he sets out on an adventure with his dad's remaining Pokémon and his girlfriend, Jess. Cross-posted to figment and archiveofourown. Rated T for Violence, Language, adult situations, and some dark humor.
1. Chapter 1: Three Years Later

**Chapter One: Three Years Later**

The lake is peaceful tonight. It's usually peaceful every night, but there isn't even a ripple on the surface. I can see small schools of red Magikarp fluttering like butterflies underneath the water, and every so often, underneath, I see a dark and foreboding shadow of what I can only assume is a Gyarados. A lone Pidgey flies overhead and towards the forest on the other side of the lake. To my left, I hear the distinctive hooting of a Noctowl. The night is falling fast at the Lake of Rage.

As the sun falls ever so slowly in the sky, I step off of the wooden dock and walk along the edge of the lake. Orange leaves are scattered along the ground, waiting for the ones still hanging to the trees to join them. Johto is a beautiful place once the Autumn winds float lazily in. A soft gust rushes past my face and through my dark brown hair. It's cold; a hint of the winter months to come. That gust immediately reminds me of why I came here.

It's the same gust that blew across my face three years ago, when I lost my Eevee companion.

* * *

I was only fourteen years old then, and had been training Eevee for about three years. She was a present to me from the Kimono Girls of Ecruteak City. We went up to the Lake of Rage, where I planned on camping with Eevee for a week, hopefully evolving it into an elegant Espeon.

The day we got up there, things were definitely not as it seemed. The lake was violent, and its inhabitants were even more so. Near the center of the lake, there was a strange boat that seemed to be the cause of all the commotion. Eevee and I got as close as we could to the water to still be safe, but we still couldn't see much. Gyarados were jumping in and out of the water, shooting water, energy beams, and whatever else they could muster at the strange boat, but the boat would not budge. A tiny figure on the deck of the boat had some very strong-looking Pokémon, each valiantly fighting the terrifying Gyarados. It looked to me like a Crobat and a three-headed dragon I had never seen before.

The Crobat was barely anything more than a purple blur. When it would actually slow down long enough to attack, or to receive orders from its trainer, its skin would glint in the light of the sun for a moment or two before it launched itself into another complicated maneuver. It valiantly sliced at each of the great blue dragons that attacked it.

The dragon's heads each seemed to be taking on a Gyarados each. Powerful waves I recognized as Dragonbreath, spasms of lightning, and even what looked like a Hyper Beam. I had never seen such a terrifying beast. Six dark gray wings thrusted up and down, keeping the behemoth in the air, and the eyes in each of its blue heads seemed to absorb the sunlight, creating an emptiness that chilled me even though it was the middle of summer and I was standing a good eighty meters away. The purple crest on the top of its middle head was wet with the spray of water all around it.

The battle raged for a few minutes, and a small group of people had gathered, watching in awe and, at least in the face of one elderly man, fear. He seemed to recognize the people on the boat, and then immediately ran inside a nearby building, mentioning my father's name.

I was about to follow him toward the building, but as I turned, the crowd of people suddenly erupted into cries of shock. I quickly pivoted and looked back out to the lake, where most of the fighting had subsided. Instead of the many furious Gyarados, there was only one; a red one.

Back home in Mahogany Town, we had all heard stories of the elusive Red Gyarados. Supposedly, they all lived at the very bottom of the lake, and only came to the surface when the lake itself was under a lot of stress. Up until about thirty years ago, barely anyone had seen one, when the legendary trainer known only as Gold managed to not only see, but _catch _one as well.

It was the first, and so far, only time I had ever seen it. Its red scales seemed to shine brighter than the sun itself. It unleashed a mighty roar that sent tremors through the water and a cold wind blowing across our faces.

The beast leaned back and its mouth began to glow, as if it was charging a Hyper Beam. But before anything could happen, the figure on the boat recalled both his Crobat and the mysterious dragon to their respective Pokéballs and threw what looked like a tiny rock. The Gyarados stopped charging the beam and knocked the rock away with its powerful tail.

Only the rock didn't fly away. It clung onto the Gyarados' tail like glue. With a sudden flash of blue, wires flew out of it and entangled themselves in the tail. Gyarados began thrashing about in the water. It thrashed for about a minute, then slipped under the water, either knocked out cold or worse.

The figure on deck pulled another Pokéball out of his belt and tossed it. Out came another Pokémon I had never seen before. This one resembled a Kingler, only much larger and angrier looking. Its bright red body glinted in the sunlight just like the scales of the felled Gyarados, and on its bulky head there was what looked like a yellow star. It had four arms, each of which had gigantic claws. This monster dived into the water, and after a couple seconds underneath, it reappeared, holding the unmoving red Gyarados in its two bigger front claws. It threw the beast on deck and was quickly returned to its Pokéball by its owner.

No one was talking at this point. About nine or ten people had gathered around the dock to watch the battle, and we were all speechless as the boat slowly chugged its way toward the wooden planks. Suddenly there was a rustling at my ankles. I looked down to see Eevee rushing towards the boat, which was just about to reach the dock.

"Eevee, wait!" I yelled, chasing after her. But she didn't seem to hear me. She jumped onto the dock the same moment the mysterious figure emerged. I skidded to a stop.

"Eevee, come on, get back here!"

"Oh, is this little runt yours?" the figure said. "I'd suggest you recall it. It seems to have quite the temper."

"I don't know what's gotten into her, sir," I said sheepishly. "Usually she's very mild. Eevee, come _on!_"

Eevee just growled at the man. He took one step toward her. His black boot fell heavily onto the wood and as the rest of his body carried forward, he emerged from the shadow of his boat. He was wearing all black. His black pants looked thick and sturdy, strongly heavy despite the warm weather. He wore a long-sleeved black shirt with thick black gloves, which also looked heavy. On the right breast-pocket of his shirt, there was a small golden pin with an "R" written on it in the color of blood. I could sense why Eevee was so on edge—he looked exactly like a member of Team Rocket. But that couldn't be…Team Rocket was disbanded twenty-five years ago…

"I _said_ you should probably recall your Eevee, young man!" he rasped. His scratchy voice had next to no patience in it. I fumbled in my pocket to pull out Eevee's Pokéball, but by the time I got it out, she was already charging at the figure.

"Eevee, _NO_!"

But it was too late. Eevee's teeth sunk into the man's arm. The man let out a scream and threw his arm out. Eevee lost her grip on the arm and flew into the water, landing with a harsh splash.

"It seems to me that you have some problems training your Pokémon. In fact, I would say this one is a hazard to all around it! And you know what I like to do to hazards?"

"What…?" I stuttered, but I already knew where he was going with this.

"I like to eliminate hazards. Go! Sneasel!" He threw a fourth Pokéball and out came the sneasel. Its short black fur rustled in the soft breeze. Its eyes shifted from me, to his master, to Eevee, who had resurfaced and was beginning to paddle towards the dock. Before his master could even say anything, the sneasel began to blow an icy wind. It was the coldest thing I ever felt in my life. It seemed to drop the temperature of the whole lake down to zero. The water all around us for about six or seven yards had frozen solid. To my left, Eevee was trapped in the ice so only her head and front legs were above the water. She began to squirm and whimper, but there was nothing she could do. I raised my Pokéball up to recall her, but the Sneasel quickly knocked it out of my hands with a swift swipe of its claw. The ball bounced for a few feet and fell into the water, where it slowly began to float to the center of the lake.

"No! I'm sorry! I promise I will teach her not to just attack—"

"It's too late for excuses, boy!"

"I swear to you, she's never like this!"

"Tell that to my bleeding wrist. Sneasel!"

Tears began to well up in my eyes. I told myself to move, to catch that Sneasel before it could do anything, but my legs were rooted on the spot. I couldn't move. I could only watch as the man made his command.

"Use Metal Claw."

* * *

I shiver, pull my jacket up to my neck, and continue to walk alongside the shore. It had been just over three years since the day the man took the Gyarados. He called out the giant dragon he had been using earlier, which grabbed the Gyarados and took off to the West, never to be heard from again. By the time my father and the police arrived, all that was left was a group of nine shocked spectators, me, and Eevee's body, floating amongst the last chunks of melting ice.

Many questions were asked, but the case went cold pretty quickly. I told them that the man had a Team Rocket pin on his shirt, but no one believed me. "Team Rocket has been disbanded for years," the captain of the force said, "everyone knows that."

But I doubt that. I doubted that since the day my best friend was taken from me. But what could I do? I was a seventeen year-old boy. The only Pokémon I had was buried right next to the shore of the Lake of Rage.

A soft rain begins to fall as I walk toward the place we buried her. She was buried right next to one of the biggest trees near the lake, one that we would sit under and sleep away long summer afternoons.

I see the grave marker and kneel down before it. There were flowers that bloomed here, but they had already died in the wake of the oncoming winter. I sit down next to the marker and look out into the sunset. The lake is calm. The waning light casts a strangely beautiful shadow on the lake. I sit there, next to Eevee's grave, and sigh.

"I thought I'd find you here, Jason."

I turn quickly. "Dad!"

He laughs. "Yep, it's just me. I came home to tell you something, but your mother said that you were out for a while."

"I guess I'm pretty predictable, huh?"

"You definitely are. You still miss Eevee?"

"Of course. I mean, it doesn't hurt as much anymore, but I like coming here to think."

"I know you do, Jason. Listen, I was going to go grab some grub and then I had a surprise for you. You want to come with me? Or could you use a little more thinking time?"

"Well, I really don't have all that much to think about now. I really just came up here for a walk."

"Well, what do you say we walk over to the local burger joint?"

I laugh. "Sounds good."


	2. Chapter 2: The Pokéball

**Chapter Two: The Pokéball**

The diner is cold when we walk inside. My father takes off his heavy jacket and hangs it up on a coat rack near the entrance. I do the same.

"What big news do you have for me, Dad?" I ask.

He smiles, soft gray eyes glinting in the fluorescent lights of the diner. "Always to the point. Can't we just enjoy a meal together?"

"I guess…" I turn forward to take a look at the room. It is empty, probably about half an hour since the dinner rush subsided. About a dozen square tables are scattered across the relatively small room. The walls are decorated with old Newspapers containing famous stories of all the big events that happened in the past few years. One of the more recent ones, dated about ten years ago, read **BELOVED GYM LEADER PASSES AT 84**. The article is about Pryce, the local gym leader of Mahogany Town, who passed away a couple years after my family moved here from Newbark Town, where my dad spent most of his childhood. At the edge of the room sit a few broken-in booths. The plastic covers are ripped from years of wear and tear. It's an old diner, but they still had the best burgers this side of the Indigo Plateau.

"Welcome to the HootHoot Burger Hut, Jason!" says a perky voice. The voice belongs to Jessica, one of my friends from the Pokémon Academy. She looks beautiful today, I think. Her short black hair is tied back in a short ponytail, and her square black glasses have slid just far enough down her nose so they sit at a perilous line between "flirtatious" and "blind old person." Her uniform is a clean white, save for a grease stain on her left sleeve that leaves a heart-shaped blotch on her left arm. She wears a short pink apron and holds a small notepad in her hand.

"Well, if it isn't the employee of the month. So that's why you didn't pick up your phone earlier," I say.

"Oh please, Jace," she says, giving me a friendly yet condescending look. "Even if I _wasn't _busy at the restaurant, there are about a million things I'd rather do than mourn the loss of your Eevee."

"I wasn't mourning, I was just…reminiscing!"

"Whatever you say. Just the two of you?"

My dad nods. Jessica gestures us to follow her and we follow her down to the booth furthest from the kitchen, next to the window.

"Now I know you'll have some Iced tea, Jace, but what'll your father have?"

"I'll just have a water, Jessica. Thanks."

"Wait, Jess, am I really that predictable? Maybe I don't want an iced tea."

She stopp, a curious look on her face. She pushes her glasses up her nose and scratches off something on her notepad. "Well, okay, daredevil, what will you have?"

I pause and looked at the menu.

"Uh, well, see, I _do _want an iced tea this time, but next time, I'll probably want something else."

"Sure you will," she responded, rolling her eyes. "I'll be right back with your drinks."

"Smooth," my father says.

"Aw, shut up, Dad," I grumble, opening up the menu and trying to find my order. He shrugs and does the same. We sit in silence for a couple minutes, trying to figure out our orders, not once talking.

"Hate to break up this intense conversation you've got going on here, but your drinks are ready." Jessica puts my father's water and my iced tea down in front of us. "And since I know you're so desperately trying to try something new, I decided to give you _sweetened tea_ instead of unsweetened. Try not to get too flustered about it," she adds, winking at me. I aim a friendly kick at her shins, but she moves out of the way quickly. "Can I take your orders?"

"Two Tauros Cheeseburgers, please," my father says, folding up his menu. Jessica nods, scribbles the order onto her notepad and walks off slowly. We sit in silence for a few moments, and I take a sip of the tea. It tastes terrible. My father looks around. There is no one else in the restaurant. He leans towards me ever so slightly, placing his hands on the wooden table. "You want to know why I wanted to talk to you?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I've been thinking a lot, and—"

He doesn't even get the chance to finish his statement as suddenly, a harsh beeping comes from inside his pants pocket. His face turns pale as he pulls out the vibrating phone.

"When did you change your ringtone to—" I begin to ask, but he immediately shushes me.

"I have to take this, I'll be right back. In the mean time, take a look in the bag." He shakily picks himself up off the booth and rushes out the door. I look back to where he was sitting and see his small, leather bag. He's had that bag for years. I assume it must have been a soft blue years back, but right now it is a tattered gray with a faded red Pokéball graphic stitched onto the front pocket—the same graphic used by the Pokémon League for years. The front pocket is unzipped, and something is inside. I reach over the table to pick it up.

"Going through your father's things? That's pretty low of you, Jace."

"Jess!" I fall back into my seat. The air inside the booth seat hissed out. "It's definitely not what it looks like."

"Whatever you say, klepto," she says, sitting down next to the bag.

"Shouldn't you be preparing our food?"

"I'm a waitress, not a chef. Besides, I'm training my Aipom over there to staff the tables." I turn back towards the kitchen, and sure enough, there's a little purple monkey carrying a load of plates in each of its paws as its tail, clutching a rag, wipes off a table with ease.

"Impressive," I say. She smiles, pushing her glasses up her nose again. "At this rate, you'll be the best waitress in Johto. What a life to live, huh?"

"Funny," she snaps. "You know I'm saving up to go on a Trainer's journey."

"I think battling Pokémon is a bit different than battling spilled food, Jess."

"When did you get so snarky?"

"I think it's that shit you put in my tea."

"Sweetness turns you sour?"

"Yeah, it does. This is why I like to be predictable."

"More like boring."

"Whatever," I say with all the finality I can muster. I roll my eyes for good measure. Jess just giggles. She leans in toward me.

"You know, I'll probably have enough money to go on a journey by Springtime. You should come with me!"

"Jess," I say, "I don't even _have _a Pokémon anymore."

Suddenly, the door busts open, and my dad rushes in. There is a look of concentration on his face. His usually soft eyes have become steel and his usual slow and leisurely pace has gone, being replaced with a nervous, near-jogging gait. He nearly trips on the foot of a table getting back to us.

"I need my bag." Jessica, usually quick of tongue, is completely silent as she hands him the old bag. My father pulls out a few bills and hands them to her. "This is for the food."

"Dad, what's going on?" I ask, starting to get up.

"Don't worry about it, Jason. Enjoy your burger. I have to go."

"But what about—"

"I told you, don't worry, Jace. I'm needed for urgent business. I probably won't be home for a while. Did you get the ball?"

"Ball…?"

"Here." He sets the bag down and pulls on the partially opened zipper. The pocket flap falls forward and a single red Pokéball pops out. It bounces on the floor twice and rolls to my foot. I pick it up hesitantly. There's a strange heaviness to it; there must be a Pokémon inside.

"Dad…"

He grabs me on the shoulders and pulls me up. "In there is an Eevee. Much like the one you had when you were younger. I was going to give this to you so you could have a Pokémon companion like I did when I was your age. Unfortunately, something's come up. That Eevee may just have to protect you. Train it well—there's a storm brewing." He throws me into a quick embrace and quickly turns for the door.

"Dad, what's going on…?"

He turns around when he reaches his coat near the front entrance.

"Hopefully, nothing. I won't be back for a few days." And within seconds, he is out of the door. Jess and I stand there, speechless. I look down into my hand. The Pokéball is dusty, and there is a tiny dent on the white underside. It looks like it hasn't even been opened for a few years.

"What an old-looking Pokéball," Jess remarks, taking the words right out of my mouth. "That thing looks like it's been sitting on a shelf for decades!"

"Well, Dad did tell me that he used to be a trainer who caught tons of Pokémon when he was younger. Maybe this is one of them."

"A thirty-year old Eevee? Don't be ridiculous."

Suddenly, an earth-shattering roar shook the entire restaurant. I rushed outside, Jess behind me, and as I opened the door, I saw two dragons battling in the sky. One was a Dragonite, its bright orange skin radiant in the last rays of the sunset. It was performing complicated aerial maneuvers as it fought the other dragon, which looked a little like a Pokémon, but a lot more like a gigantic black shadow. The battle ended quickly, when the Dragonite took off, the shadow chasing it.

"That was weird," I say, watching the two become specks in the sky.

"I hope your dad's okay," Jess adds.

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you see him? He was riding on that Dragonite!"


	3. Chapter 3: Home Invasion

**Chapter Three: Home Invasion**

"What do you mean, he was on the Dragonite?" I ask, vainly squinting at where the two specks disappeared into the night. "My dad might have been a trainer in his youth, but he never told me about any dragons he caught on his journey…"

"You mean he actually tells you things? He actually talks to you?" Her lighthearted, flirtatious attitude from only a minute ago was gone. "I thought you said he doesn't tell you about his past."

"Well, he doesn't," I sigh.

True, my father was a trainer when he was younger. From what I had managed to piece together, he was a trainer during the years that the famous Trainer prodigy Red was Champion of the Pokémon League, and a good one at that. He even showed me his badge case, which held five dusty badges inside. The aging Professor Elm even gave him his first Pokémon, which was now an old Typhlosion who spent his time emptying our fridge. But whenever I asked him or my mother about his years as a trainer, neither would go much further than to tell me that he had been one.

I looked back down at the Pokéball in my hand. In here was an Eevee. My new Eevee. Maybe I would go on a journey with Eevee and Jess.

"You know, I really hate to butt in on this moment of introspection," Jess started, returning to her flirtatious manner, "But you've got two burgers to eat. Dave didn't fry 'em up in the kitchen for nothing."

"I don't even know if I can eat one burger, let alone two."

"Good thing I'm taking my break and I'm hungry. Get in here."

"All I'm saying is that my Aipom could take on a freaking _Machop_!"

"No, you're completely wrong. Aipom is a normal—"

"Forget about your type matchups, Jace. Real life isn't the same as your theory books from the academy. And real life tells _me_ that my Aipom can take on a two-foot tall living action figure."

The sun was completely down now, and the only light come from the electric lamps that hang twenty feet above our heads. Jess' hair is undone, and it comes down to softly brush the shoulders of her black peacoat. The temperature had dropped a fair amount, and as each of us spoke, a small puff of breath was briefly visible before dissipating into the night. Her Aipom ambles quietly behind us. My new Eevee remains in its Pokéball in my left pocket. I roll it around with my hand, feeling the cool metal of the surface

"Don't you want to take it out?" Jess was eyeing the lump in my pocket with great interest.

"I…I guess…" I muttered, and pulled out the ball. I gave it a quick toss, and with a small explosion, the ball cracked open at the middle, and in the small tuft of smoke resulting from the bang, a small, short-furred, brown, admittedly adorable Eevee scampered out. Its big black eyes shifted left, then right, and then it slowly turned to face me. Eyes widened, it took a couple cautious steps toward me.

"Hey there, little guy," I said softly, kneeling down and extending my arm out to it. The Eevee extended its head, twitched its button nose, and took another couple steps in my direction.

"Oh my god, he's so _cute_!" Jess screamed, jumping in delight. The eevee, clearly spooked from the loud noise, jumped about a foot in the air and backed away.

"Way to go, Jess. Grab the Pokéball," I scolded, motioning to Eevee's Pokéball, which lay split in half a few feet to our left. "We may need to recall it if you keep terrifying it."

"No need," Jess retorted, pointing back at the Eevee. "I think he'll warm up to you okay in the end." I look back, and sure enough, Eevee is slowly making its way toward my still outstretched hand. I motion with the other hand to the Pokéball. In my peripheral vision, I see Jess roll her eyes and strut to it. She picks up the ball and snaps it shut with a tiny click.

"You're an awfully cautious little guy, aren't you?" I ask, smiling. The Eevee looks up at me, tilts its head, and smiles back at me. As if deciding I was worth its trust, it picks up the pace and trots to me and rubs its shoulders under my outstretched hands, purring softly. I lean over and pick it up, bringing its tiny body to my own.

"Oh, look at you two, you're already best friends, aren't you?" Jess says, grinning toothily. She walks up, arm outstretched. Eevee burrows into my jacket, growling. "Oh, come _on_, I am not that scary."

"I don't know, I've seen you in the morning."

"Shut _UP_, Jace! Not all of us can have perfect hair and complexion in the mornings."

"Are you saying I do have those things?"

"Well, you won't for long with that attitude," she threatens, raising her fist to me. With a sudden rustle, the Eevee pushes off from my chest and hurls himself at her headfirst. He bounces off her chest and the two tumble to the ground.

"Eevee, stop that!" I say, torn between laughter and concern. Eevee turns back to me and cocks its head. As he trots toward me, he yips softly, considering his assault a job well done. Jess, meanwhile, rolls onto her stomach and pushes herself up, trying to maintain a serious state but holding back laughter.

"See?" she asks, between suppressed giggles, "even your new Eevee knows I'm a threat."

"He just doesn't know you that well."

"Oh, please. I'm like a freaking ninja."

I open my mouth to reply, but before I can say a word, a loud explosion goes off and a flash of bright purple light fills the sky. The lights in the streetlamps flicker, then go off. Jess, Eevee, and I are cloaked in shadows.

"What was that?" I ask, trying in vain to see in the direction of the flash.

"I don't know, it sounded like it came from the direction of your house," Jess said shakily. Eevee cowered between my legs.

Another blast shakes the ground beneath us, and the same purple flash lights up the sky for a second. The world, for the moment, is lit up, and before the light fades to nothing, I see Jess racing toward the flash, gripping for something in her pocket. "That was definitely coming from the area of your house, Jace. Aipom, return! Come on!"

"Oh no…" I follow after her, heart beginning to race. I had seen those flashes before. But I couldn't quite place where…

We turned the corner onto my street just in time to see my front door pushed to the ground by a third blast of the purple light. There is debris all over the street. Jess and I speed up, and I overtake her as she pulls out a Pokéball.

"Go! Aipom!" A minor flash of red light illuminates a rusty blue car as I pass it, and soon Jess' Aipom is sprinting beside me, Eevee bringing up the rear. Our group reaches the front walk to my house, a narrow strip of cement that is now littered with broken glass and wooden beams. The door lies in three pieces on top of our porch, which looks like three or four Snorlax had taken a nap on it. Not a single window on the front wall of the house is intact, and there are scorch marks on what used to be light brown siding. A single tree, one of the many Mahogany trees that gave our town its name, lies on its side, covered in scratch marks. There was clearly a struggle here.

Another explosion is heard from the inside of the house, and my mother runs out, screaming.

"Mom!" I yell. "Mom! Mom, what's going on?" I don't even think she can see me; she looks wildly around and tries to take another step, but falls. Her leg is bleeding. It's a miracle she can still walk on it. "Mom! I'm over here! Mom! It's me! It's Jason!"

"Jason?" She shouts. "Jason, where are you?"

"Here, Mom," I say, running up and grabbing her arms. "Mom, it's okay. What's going—"

"It's not okay, Jace," she spits. She's breathing with difficulty. "Jace…Jace, you…you have to…"

"Mom, I'm not going anywhere, come on. It'll be alright. Let's get you up here."

"No…Mandibu—"

Out of the darkness of the house, a ball of energy that somehow is darker than the dark of night itself flies out and hits us. We tumble backwards and I fall, my mother on top of me. Her breathing is ragged, but she's still conscious. I look into her eyes, and instead of the warmth that usually resides within them, all I can find is cold fear that causes me to shiver.

"Jace…"

"Mom, I don't know what's going on—I…"

"Jace, you need to get out of here. Find your father."

"I can't, he flew off on…"

Yet another explosion rocks the front yard and my mother and I are pelted with pieces of wood and glass. A terrifying crow is heard from somewhere, but I can barely register it in all the confusion. Mom is unconscious now, but she is still softly breathing. I am about to pull her off of me when a figure that is not Jess picks her up with one hand.

"Bitch. You were _supposed_ to come without fighting," grumbles the figure in a familiar voice. "Now it looks like you've gone and made it a family matter." He steps toward me and nudges me with his foot. "Get up, kid. I'd hate for the cops to draw a chalk outline on such a nice front lawn." He nudges me with a bit more force, forcing me onto my stomach. I groan and struggle to give up when he kicks me again. "Ha! Seems strength is _not_ a hereditary trait. Hey, shut your damn rat up!"

It's only now that I hear Eevee yipping at the man. I look up to see him growl. There's a fire in his eyes that I haven't seen since…

"Eevee…"

"Look, I don't care what it is, if you don't shut it up now, I will, and I'll do it _for good._" I slowly get to my feet and turn around to actually get a good look at the man. He's holding my mother over his shoulder, like a sack of flour. His dark boots, thick pants, thick shirt, and leather gloves are all pitch black. He's wearing a hat, roughed up a bit and hanging to the side, presumably from all the excitement inside, and on his left breast pocket was…

"That pin…you…"

"You got a really stupid way of shutting your rat up, kid," he spits, shifting my mother on his shoulder and sneering. "You must really want your dumb Pokémon to—"

"Aipom, _Slam_!"

In a flash of purple fur, Jess' Aipom thrusts itself into the man with a deep _thud _and he nearly drops to the ground from impact. He throws my mother off of his shoulder. She lands with a sickening crack and groans, but remains unconscious. "Oh great," the man say, "now the delivery boy's gonna be returning damaged goods." He reaches to a pocket in his belt and pulls out another Pokéball. "Look kids, I'd love to play with you, but I've got a job to do, so if you don't mind, I've got to deliver her to the boss. Mandibuzz!"

With a final, sickening crack, a gigantic bird flies out of the front door and lands next to the man. It's a terrifying creature, with matted tufts of black and white fur covering veiny pink claws and a veiny pink neck. Its eyes are as cold and dark as the man it extends itself next to, with just a flash of blood red in the center of its pupils. On top of its head and black beak lies a crown of more black and white feathers and, what looks like the femur of a human being. It rises up to the man's chest and crows loudly, sending a chill down my spine.

"Take care of the chimp. Oh, and Sneasel!" He tosses the ball up and it opens, revealing the murderous Pokémon from my past. It grins with the same malice that it did at the lake three years ago. "Sneasel, take care of the little one," he sighs, motioning lazily to Eevee. Eevee steps in front of me and growls again.

"I hope that Eevee is battle-trained, because there's no way I'm gonna be able to take on both of these with just Aipom," Jess says urgently. I nod and look down at Eevee.

"Eevee, _Tackle_!"

"Aipom, slam that bird to the gound!"

Both our Pokémon make their moves, but the Sneasel and the bird are far too quick. They dodge the attacks easily.

"Sneasel, use your Metal Claw. Mandibuzz, Rock Smash that stupid monkey for all its worth."

"Aipom, get out of the way and use Swift!"

"Eevee, Sand Attack!"

Mandibuzz grabs a small rock nearby and flings it at Jess' Aipom. The monkey narrowly dodges and flings a barrage of small energy stars at both the Mandibuzz and Sneasel. It hits both of them, but it does barely any damage to either. Eevee uses the time gained to whip up a tiny sandstorm.

"Jess, these two are way too strong. We don't stand a chance!"

"Well, what do you want him to do, escape with your mother?"

"Sneasel, brick break!"

The Sneasel jumps out of the sandstorm and pounds its balled claws into Aipom's neck. Aipom lets out a weak cry and crumples onto the ground.

"Aipom, _NO_!" Jess screams. "Return!" Before the Sneasel can hit it again, Aipom slips into its Pokéball safely, in a beam of red light.

"One down, one to go." The man grins; he knows he's won. "Mandibuzz, take the baggage and fly away. I'll rendezvous with you at the meeting point later." Mandibuzz nods and turns. It harshly grips my mother with its claws and with a terrible gust, it spreads its wings and takes to the sky.

"Mom!" I yell, even though I know it's no use.

"Hey, you seem familiar, kid." I turn back to the man, who's grinning now. "Yeah, I think I had a chance encounter with you in your youth."

"You killed my best friend."

"Oh, how sorry I am! But it seems that you've replaced your friend pretty easily." His grin gets sharper and his eyes narrow. "I hope you've got your next replacement lined up."

"You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't what? Why wouldn't I do something I already did?" His grin is borderline maniacal now. I can't take it anymore.

"Eevee, tackle!"

"Sneasel, I think you can take it."

And sure enough, Sneasel lets down its guard right as Eevee smashes into it. Eevee pounces back, at the ready. He managed to hit Sneasel pretty hard, but even through its pain, it grins with the same malice as its trainer.

"Looks like it hurt. What a shame. Sneasel, use Payback."

Suddenly I can't move anymore. I watch in horror as the Sneasel charges at Eevee and hits it dead on. Eevee skids on the pavement and faints. I fumble with my pockets, trying to find his Pokéball, but it's missing. It isn't anywhere near me.

"Eevee…no…"

"What, can't recall the rat? Then you shouldn't have pissed off the exterminator, kid. Sneasel, use your metal claw." Sneasel jumps at Eevee, who is lying defenseless. My feet are rooted to the ground again. I attempt to jump in the way, hopefully to deflect the blow, but my legs just stop working. I fall to the ground and watch as the Sneasel gets closer and closer to its second kill.

"Eevee, return!"

A sudden flash of light bursts from my left, and suddenly Eevee was gone. I look up to see Jess breathing heavily, holding two Pokéballs. She runs to me and hugs me.

"Oh, how cute. Sneasel, return." Sneasel returns in a flash of red. The man walks up to the two of us. "I'm glad you got yourself a pretty little lady-friend to protect you and hold your Pokéballs, but if you get in my way again, I can guarantee you won't be as lucky." He pulls another Pokéball out of his pocket and tosses it up. In a flash of red, a Houndoom appears. Its black fur is coarse and the horns on top of its head glow in the faint moonlight. "Come on, Houndoom. We've got a rendezvous to make."

And in a few seconds, he is gone. I can hear sirens faintly buzzing in the background, and even a few flashing lights from a few streets away.

"Thank you, Jess."

"I wasn't going to let you lose three family members in one day, Jace." She grabs on to me even tighter. "The sirens are getting louder. The police are going to be here soon. Who was that guy?"

"I don't know, Jess. I don't know."


	4. Chapter 4: Looker

**Chapter Four: Looker**

"Now are you sure it's the same man who stole the red Gyarados three years ago?" Officer Jones asks me, looking sharply at me, as if trying to get to some truth that I don't even know about. Her bold, brown eyes narrow as she looks over the scratches on my face and arms. Her wild hair lies unkempt under a blue police cap, glowing blue in the presence of the red and blue flashing lights behind her.

"Yes, Ma'am," I say with as much confidence I can muster, which, admittedly, isn't a whole lot. "He even recognized me from when he killed my Eevee then."

"Did any Pokémon die this go-around?"

"No. Lucky I was there," Jess pipes in. I shoot her an accusing look, but she returns it with a reproachful one, causing me to turn away.

"But not lucky enough to identify all of his Pokémon?" Officer Jones stands back up and turns to Jess. Jones softly pats down her skirt, leaving it smooth and without a single crease.

"Just the Sneasel," Jess sighs, looking downcast.

"He called the giant bird a Mandibuzz. I don't think it was a nickname, because he didn't have one for his Sneasel," I say, getting up from the sitting position I was in.

"A Mandibuzz, you say?" Officer Jones pulls out a mechanical red device and clicks a couple buttons. The device emits a soft beeping as it whirs through various shapes of Pokémon.

"Is that a Pokédex, officer?" Jess asks.

"What, this? Yeah, sure is. It's not the kind of Pokédex that professors give to trainers or anything, just a quick field guide to the Pokémon here in Johto." With that, the beeping stops. The three of us look at the LCD, only to find a blank screen.

"Why is it blank?" I ask.

"Well, either the Pokémon doesn't exist, it's incredibly rare, or it doesn't live in Johto." She shuts the dex and puts it into her right breast pocket, winking at us. "I trust you two, so I'd assume it's the last of those options."

"Why is it so important that you identify where the Pokémon come from?"

"It'll help us know where the man came from, and possibly who he's working for. It's actually a pretty standard procedure. Hey Simons!"

"What's up?" perks up another officer over by the door of my house. Officer Jones motions for her to come over to our group. The officer nods, flips her equally dark and messy hair over her shoulder and trots over to us, followed by a rather large red-furred Growlithe.

"Jen, could you get a line out to either Professor Elm or Birch to help us identify where a 'Mandibuzz' would live."

"Sure thing, Jenny." Officer Simons gives a short salute, quickly turns, and trots back to the crime scene. Officer Jones turns back to Jess and me. "Due to the fact that your front door seems to be in three pieces, I would suggest you spend the night somewhere else. Do you have any place in mind?"

"He can stay at my house," Jess says raising her hand. "I mean, I'd have to ask, but I think, given the circumstances…" she smiles at me, her reproachful look from before just a memory. She takes a step over to me and places one hand on my shoulder and extends her other hand. In it is Eevee's Pokéball. "Try not to let anything happen to him on the way over. Can I leave, officer?"

Officer Jones nods, smiling. "I don't know where else we can go until morning, but if you told us all you know, you're free to go."

"Thanks," Jess says, bowing slightly. She turns to me. "Technically, I'll have to ask Mom, but I'll call you when she says yes." With that, she turns and jogs to her house a few blocks away.

"You got yourself a pretty good girlfriend there, young man."

"What? Oh, we aren't together, officer."

"Sure you aren't, kid. I'm done questioning you. Why don't you head inside and grab some clothes, if your room isn't part of the crime scene?"

"Thanks—"

"NOBODY WORRY, EVERYTHING IS OKAY NOW!" booms a loud voice from behind us. "THE INTERNATIONAL POLICE ARE HERE TO INTERVENE."

"Oh, for the love of Arceus," groans Officer Jones, rolling her eyes.

"Who's this?" I ask.

"You shouldn't worry about—"

"That's right, you should not worry about a thing anymore!" Without warning, a man in a long tan trenchcoat appears. He's tall and lanky. His dark black hair is graying on the sides, and despite the wrinkles around his sharp black eyes, he still looks like a young man. He stands a little too straight and his chin is home to a very pronounced frown that does not seem to move, even when he speaks. With an over-exaggerated wave of his left hand, he motions at Officer Jones. "You! Jenny Jones! I hope you are ready for the night off! Do you want to know why?"

A moment of silence goes by as Jenny slowly closes her eyes, breathing slowly and deeply. She opens her mouth to speak, but instead takes in another deep breath. When she speaks, her voice is calm, but strained, as if she's an inch away from yelling.

"Is it because I'm getting the night—"

"It is because you are getting the night off! You are indeed lucky. I would wish for a night off, but it is a fact that members of the international police are not granted such childish luxuries."

"Uh, who are you?" I ask.

"Why, my good man, I go byOH GOOD GOODNESS I MUST HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME TIME TRAVEL AS I TRAVELED. Pardon me, you look just like your father, young man."

"You know my dad?"

"I know many people, for I am a member of the international police."

"I…I can tell you are. But who are you?"

"My dear boy, I am…" he begins, but stops, looking down at me, then to Officer Jones, and then to the rest of the Mahogany police force, who by this point have stopped all their duties and are watching the man in the trenchcoat. Suddenly, his frown somehow inexplicably intensifies and he brings his hand up, sticking his chin in between his thumb and index finger.

"My dear boy, it seems that there are spies among us."

"Those are the police—"

"These spies could endanger your very life if you are not careful. Boy! I need three minutes of your time. Just three minutes."

"Okay—"

"Okay, maybe ten. Probably twenty."

"What?"

"Officer Jones, may I borrow this young boy for a mere forty five minutes? I promise to return him in pristine condition to your care. If not, I will again remind you that I am a member of the international police and that my policies are more important than yours."

Officer Jones is at a complete loss for words, like everyone else except this strange man. She just opens her mouth, shakes her head slightly, blinks a couple times, and after a few seconds, breathes a barely audible "Yes."

"Excellent! Now come along, my good lad. We cannot be seen. Inconspicuous is the name of the game!"

"I think we are away from prying ears now."

"We've been walking for fifteen minutes."

"You have excellent knowledge of time."

"Who are you?"

The man's frown recedes for a mere second as he almost chuckles. "Persistance is a trait most enjoyed by us in the international police."

"I'm really starting to get sick of this."

"Fine! I will tell you my name—NO. Not my name. My name is my secret. I will tell you my codename. Much harder to trace. My _code_name is Looker."

"Well, alright, Looker, why are you here?"

"That's classified information you're looking for."

"Right. Okay, um, why is the kidnapping of my mother a matter for the international police? Is the thug responsible wanted worldwide?"

"Whoa, slow down, young man. Who told you I was a member of the international police?" His eyes widen and his hand went to his chin again, as if he was studying me carefully. I stop walking and turn, looking at him. "Oh, I suppose I did. Oops." He continues walking on ahead, as if nothing ever happened, but I've had enough.

"What about what happened to my mother?"

"She got kidnapped."

"I _know_ that. Why?"

"I can only imagine that she has been taken in an attempt to bribe your father to do something."

"My father? What does my father have to do with any of this?"

Looker turns and frowns at me. "In all of my forty years in this service, I have never met such a naïve individual."

"Have you tried a mirror?"

"What?"

"Nothing. As you said, I'm naïve. What does my father have to do with anything?"

Looker's frown grows. He leans in toward me, so that our noses are nearly touching. His eyes narrow and with one piercing glare, it feels as if his very irises are pulling my eyes out of their skull. They quickly widen and he pulls back in surprise. He is so shocked at the apparent truth in my eyes that he actually falls over.

"What…what is it?"

"It's so simple, how could I have not seen it before?" He says, still frowning despite a clearly excited tone of voice. He picks himself up off the ground and returns his hand to his chin. "You, _obviously_, were not told of your heritage. To protect you, without a doubt."

"What do you mean?"

"I do not know how you have not figured it out, but then again, few are as smart as the members of the international police. Young man, do you know who your father is?"

I look at him closely. This time it is my turn to narrow my eyes, trying to figure out the angle that Looker is coming from. But I can't read him, so I drop my shoulders and then raise them again in a shrug. "I know his name is Ethan Walker. He does a lot of business transactions for Professor Elm's Research, or something like that—he doesn't really tell me about his work. He used to be a Pokémon Trainer, but he never had more than five badges to his name. He married my mom, who worked in a Pokémart out in Goldenrod. She came from a family with no ties to any criminals whatsoever. They moved to Mahogany town because they wanted a quiet place to raise their son, me. And that's basically my father in a nutshell. What could he have been doing to get into this kind of trouble?"

"Business…five badges…are you sure that is you describing your father?" Looker asks, his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"As far as I know, yeah."

"Goodness," Looker mutters, looking down. He somehow manages to push his hand further into his chin. "I am terribly sorry to have to say this…"

"Say what?" I say. I don't get it. Has my father been living a double life behind my back? Why was he so nervous when his phone rang at the diner earlier? Why was mom kidnapped, and was she used as bait to get to him? Who could want my father so badly, and why were they going through such lengths?

Looker doesn't say anything; he just shakes his head. He's clearly shaken, but I prompt him with the question one more time and he instantly perks up.

"My dear boy, it seems that I was given the wrong address. It wouldn't be the first time I have. I'm getting along in years and these things happen. I mustn't be too hard on yourself, as the job of being an International Policeman is stressful enough. Now could you kindly direct me to where another kidnapping might have taken place in your city?"

He leans in toward me again, but I can't even make a word. I just drop my jaw and stare at him.

"Ah, I feared you would not be able to help. Do not worry. I hope your mother comes back soon. Until we meet again, good boy. I must be off!" And with that, Looker dashed off into the night, leaving me alone with a view of my father that wasn't quite as clear as it was earlier.


	5. Chapter 5: Thundershocks

**Chapter Five: Thundershocks**

It is a dark night. The commotion caused by my parents' disappearance has died down a little bit, and I managed to gather up a couple changes of clothes into a small bag earlier. That bag now sits leaning on the side of an old gray couch next to a sleeping bag and my running shoes. The couch has seen some wear and tear over the years, likely due to it being one of the favorite scratching posts of Jess' mother's prized Glameow, as well as it serving as a bed in my younger years when I would spend the night at her house.

But it is likely that this will be my last night on that couch. Tomorrow morning, I begin my journey to Goldenrod, where I'll be staying with my grandparents, on my mother's side. They phoned me about an hour after the attack occurred, after having heard the news on the radio. Apparently, the disappearance of my parents warranted an urgent bulletin. They were going to send a car right away to get me, in case the attackers returned, but I told them that I wanted the journey so I could clear my mind a bit.

Outside, the streets are empty and dark, save for the soft orange glow of streetlamps and the soft rumble of a passing police car. Police have been patrolling the area for the past hour, to keep me safe. But all their patrolling does is make me steadily less certain of the identity of my father.

Looker said that I had a close resemblance to him, but then was so shocked when it turned out that my father wasn't the man he was looking for…was my father using a fake identity, and if so, why? Johto is one of the most notably quiet places in the world. Not like the terrifying events we studied in the academy, hostile takeovers by malicious groups of people out in Kalos and Unova. The worst Johto had to deal with was the failed revival of Team Rocket, where they were destroyed by a child for, embarrassingly enough, the second time in three years. Unless this man, the man who stole my mother and killed my first Pokémon, is a member of a new Team Rocket. But he's gone, and he had no interest in me, so why would I still need to be protected?

I turn from the window and look back into the dark room. Apart from the couch, nestled up in a corner next to a table with an ornate lamp, the room is barely furnished. There are a couple bookcases next to a closed closet door, and on them lie books of all shapes and sizes. An old Television hooked up to a VCR is opposite the couch. On the floor is a thick woolen rug with a map of Johto sewn onto the front. I kneel down next to the Lake of Rage and at that second, the door opens.

"Remember how we used to plan our Pokémon trainer journeys on that rug?" Jess asks, slipping in and shutting the door. She raises her hand to the light switch, as if to turn it on, but hesitates, thinks against it, and returns it to her side. She walks over and sits cross-legged next to me, over Blackthorn City, the closest town to our East.

"I can imagine you still do, _Champion Jessica_."

She smiles. "Still has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"I guess," I say, peering over to Goldenrod City. Even in the dark, on an old wool rug, it still somehow glows with that big-city excitement.

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm just fine," I lie.

"No you're not." Jess gets up and steps closer to me, where she's in arm's length, and pulls me up by the arm so we're facing each other. She's remarkably tall, only about an inch or two shorter than me. Her hand relaxes its grip, and for a second, it rests on top of my arm before she grabs me by the side and pulls me into a hug. She's strong, too. "I know when you're lying, Jace. You can tell me, you know."

"I already told you and your mom everything when I got here."

"Is it everything?" Her face gets a couple inches closer. I can see the concern in her eyes, but there's something else in there, something I've never seen before—is it desire? I'm not sure, but whatever it is, it sends a bolt of lightning down my spine. It takes me away for a moment, but then I remember the events from just a couple hours ago.

"Yes," I sigh, pulling away. I walk slowly over to the window and lean up next to the windowpane, looking out the window. In the reflection of the glass, I see Jess slowly sit down on the carpet. I turn back and look at her. She's sitting on Mahogany Town.

"I don't want you to go."

"Jess, where else am I going to stay?"

"You could stay here!" She exclaims, perking up. "I know Mom'll probably be iffy, hell, she probably thinks we're making out right now or something, but we can…" She trails off and slouches back down. Even she can't believe in her argument. I make a move toward her, but with sudden resolve, she gets up and briskly walks to the door. With a flick of her wrist, the overhead light sparks to life, and she spins and faces me, her eyes suddenly warm.

"When did we get so melodramatic?" she laughs, taking my hands and attempting to spin me around on the rug.

"Probably about the time my mom got taken," I say, frowning.

"Jeez, some of these days, I swear the stick up your butt has a stick up its butt." She manages to spin me around a couple rotations, and even a smile.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it. But I'm still leaving for Goldenrod."

She still isn't fazed. "Then let's have one last night to remember! Like we did back when we were kids!" She lets go of my hand and opens the closet door. Inside are all sorts of toys. Stuffed Pokémon toys tumble out, underneath official Pokémon League hats and plastic gym badges. I forget sometimes how big of a dream it was for Jess to be a Pokémon trainer. She picks up one of the hats and crams it onto my head. It's about a size too small, but she's already almost got my smile gone.

"I can see that smile under there, you know," she says.

"Look, I—"

"No looking," she said. "You need a distraction." She brings herself up close to me and that thunderbolt fires down my spine again. I'm distracted, all right.

"What…what kind of distraction?" I stutter. She registers the stutter, and for a fleeting second, the look she had returns in her eyes and her cheeks get just a bit pinker. But the look is wiped away and replaced by that cocky smile I know her so well for.

"Pick your starter, Pokémon, young trainer."

"Uh, Jess, aren't we a little _old_ to pretend we have Pokêmon?"

"You're right, we _have _Pokémon, now!" she says excitedly. She pulls her Pokéball out of her pocket and waves it in my face. She then turns to the closet and tries to organize the mess of toys. I look at my bag next to the couch. Nestled at the top of the bag is Eevee's Pokéball. I'm lucky to still _have_ that Eevee. He battled pretty valiantly for our first time, but it was still inches away from dying. And I was still completely helpless as I watched him. I bet that if Jess didn't have that Pokéball, I would have been short another Eevee. I walk over to the ball and pick it up. It is cold in my hands. The red top shell glints in the light. I can see my worried reflection in the red. I bring the ball up to my face.

"_I will protect you next time_," I whisper. Hopefully, Eevee can hear me in there and forgive me next time. I set the ball back down on the bag.

"Jace! Jace, you have to see this!"

I tear my eyes away from the ball. Jess is still over at the closet, but she's bent over a box full of old VHS tapes. As I walk over, she brandishes one of the dusty tapes in front of my face.

"Do you know what this is?"

"An artifact?"

"No! Well—yes. Kind of. But do you know what's on it?"

"You won't stop waving it for me to read what's on it."

She stops waving the tape and hands it to me. On the side, handwritten, are the words _Pokémon League, Aug '99._ I turn it over in my hands and look at the front. There is another sticker saying the same thing.

"I'm still lost here."

"My Grandpa used to be hugely into the Pokémon League when he was younger. He's probably taped all of the Championship battles for the past 30 years."

"A real championship battle is on this piece of junk?"

"I think so…we should watch it!" She's too excited about this, regardless what I tell her. Before I even get a chance to respond, she's at the VCR, slipping the tape in. "My dad used to play these for me all the time when I was younger," she starts. "Watching these were always my favorite. Might be the kind of distraction you need."

"Sure, why not?" I flop down right in the middle of the couch and stretch out my legs. They reach the edge of the rug, right at about where Azalea Town is. Jess fiddles with the ancient TV set and VCR and within a few seconds, a fuzzy reporter appears on the screen. She leaps back to the couch and jumps on, worming her way underneath my arm. The warmth of her body on mine is comforting.

"Can you do anything about the volume? I can barely hear it."

"What do I look like, Jace, a miracle worker? I'm surprised I could even turn the dumb thing on." She huddles closer to me. "Besides, if I remember correctly, the commentary is done by some really corny guy. We can make our own commentary." We look at the screen as a graphic plays, saying _POKEMON LEAGUE 1999_. After, a huge graphic showing a handsome man in his mid-thirties with pale skin, a serious expression, and dark, spiky red hair pop up on the screen.

"Wow, is that Lance? He was the champion, right?" I ask incredulously. "He's so…young."

"This _was _about thirty years ago. He better look young." And sure enough, Lance's name flies in underneath his stern expression. The video changes and we see him standing in the middle of a stadium full of cheering. The little volume squeaking out of the TV set was barely audible, but I can barely make out the announcers talking about the third teenager to challenge the elite four in three years as another figure walks on the screen. Then the camera changes to a close-up of the face of—

"Oh, my God, is that you? He looks just like you!"

"No, it's my…father…"

"But you're father never won more than five badges."

"He didn't."

"Are you sure?"

Under my young father's face, he can't be older than thirteen, flashes the word _GOLD_.

"Oh my God, your dad was freaking _GOLD_ and you never told me?!"

"His name isn't Gold, it's…"

But now I'm not so sure.

"Wait a minute, this makes too much sense." Jess springs upward excitedly. Your father _has_ to be Gold! Think about it. That guy who took your mom was wearing a Team Rocket pin, right?"

"Right…"

"They must have been looking for him. That's why he was being chased on that Dragonite. Then they decided to take your mom, probably to bribe him to come to them! I bet this new Team Rocket is planning something big, and that they're trying to get him out of the way because they know that he'll be able to stop them."

"So why didn't that guy take me as well?"

"Beats me. Maybe he didn't know that Gold had a kid."

"So is that why he went into hiding? So they wouldn't find out about me? Jess, remember what happened to Gold? He went into training about a year after he won the league, just like Red did. You mean to tell me that a 14-year old kid _knew_ that Team Rocket would come back in thirty years and try to take his son that he didn't have with his wife he probably never met? You've got a few plot holes there. Besides, Dad told me about all the Pokémon he's owned. He had a Typhlosion…"

Jess points at the TV. Lance's first Pokémon, a Dragonite, is shooting a powerful blast of thunder at Gold's first Pokémon, _a Typhlosion_.

"Big deal. A lot of people start with a basic starter from a Head Professor of a region." But my voice is shaking. Even if there are a lot of holes in her theory, Jess' ideas are making a lot more sense than anything I can come up with.

"You got any better answers to this, Jace?" she asks.

I don't. I lean back on the couch, deep in thought.

"Jace, do you know what this means?"

"What?"

"You could train a team and take down the new Team Rocket! Just like your dad!" She's way too excited about this.

"You saw me battle. I almost killed my Eevee."

"That was your first battle. That guy was having his Pokémon use moves they don't usually learn. Plus he looked like he was like 50 years old. He's probably been training for _years_."

"You had to save my Eevee's life!"

"It's in your blood. I know it."

I turn back to the TV just in time to watch Gold's Typhlosion take out the Dragonite with a searing blast of fire. No wonder he was considered a legend. Is it true his blood runs in my veins? I look back to the Pokéball, then back to Jess.

"Maybe my grandparents know more about it."

"Wait, the whole point of this distraction thing was to get you to want to _stay _here, Jace," she says matter-of-factly.

"You knew that that wouldn't work. Besides, if I am the son of Gold, I'm starting to feel pretty dedicated about going to Goldenrod. I might even pick up a gym badge or eight. I'll write you though, don't worry."

"Are you feeling okay, Jason?"

"You can call me Gold, Jr."

"Whoa. Feisty."

"Maybe it is in my blood." I'm not sure where this sudden spurt of confidence is coming from, but it's intoxicating.

"I kinda like feisty. It's exciting. New. Unpredictable." She leans in closer to me and I'm hit with the jolt for a third time.

"I'll show you unpredictable." And with that, I lean in and kiss her. Her lips feel warm on mine. At first, there is a hesitation, as she realizes what just happened. But then she kisses back, passionately. We kiss for a few more seconds, and then I pull away. "I bet you weren't expecting that," I say, grinning.

She smiles sheepishly. "I've been expecting you to do that for the past couple of years, Jace."

"Shit."


	6. Chapter 6: Departure

**Chapter Six: Departure**

The sky is gray this morning. Clouds cover the entire town, from horizon to horizon. What a great way to start a journey. I lean on the front porch of Jess' house and hope for no rain. Eevee is rolling around in the garden in front of me, scratching his back on a white stone birdbath. As the bath wobbles from all the commotion, a very disgruntled Pidgey flaps its wings, blowing up a rush of sand toward Eevee. Eevee rolls to the side and jumps at it playfully.

"Oh, Jason!" calls a voice from inside. Eevee stops, ears perked up, and looks at me. The front door opens, and Mrs. Dawson, Jess' mother, walks out, wiping a bowl with a white rag. "Are you sure you don't want to wait for Jessica to wake up before you go? I imagine she would want to say goodbye."

"I told her I'd be up early last night before I went to bed," I lied. Especially after I kissed her last night, I didn't think I'd be able to say goodbye to her. Instead, I woke up early, dressed in silence, and wrote her a quick goodbye note, leaving it on her nightstand for when she wakes up. "Besides," I add, "It's just over a day's walk to Ecruteak. I'd like it if I got there before dark."

"Then we should get going, Slowpoke," Jess says, slightly out of breath, bursting through the front door, nearly knocking down her mother. She's shouldering a large bag and wearing dark sunglasses despite the lack of sun in the sky. A pair of hiking boots are slung over her shoulder

"Jess?" her mother and I say simultaneously and in the same tone of surprise.

"I figured I was going to start my Pokémon journey in the Spring, but why would I let stupid Jace get a head start?" Jess regains her composure and swaggers over to me. She punches me in the arm, a little bit too hard to be friendly. Maybe the letter wasn't such a good idea.

"What about the diner?" her mother asks.

"It's on the way to Route 42," Jess says, smiling eagerly. "I can quit when we pass it. Imagine, not smelling like raw Tauros. It's been years."

"Does Jason know you are traveling together?"

"He does now."

Jess' mother smiles, her eyes watering softly. "Well, I guess you don't have to wait for her to wake up, Jason. Have a good trip, you two."

"Thanks, mom!" Jess says, skipping down the stairs and toward the street. Eevee has pulled himself out of the garden and staring at her go. I'm inclined to follow her, but my feet don't seem to be working entirely.

"She told me you were headed to Goldenrod. And that you might need protection. Now, I don't know what kind of protection she meant," she says, winking, "But I know how it's like. It's about time you kids were headed on a journey, anyway. Be sure to stop in New Bark to pick up a Pokédex from Professor Elm, 'Champ in the making.'" She winks again.

"Well, I'm stopping in Goldenrod."

"I know you're not. Even if you don't. Take care of my daughter, Jason. Have her call me when you reach Ecruteak."

"Jace, get your ass _over_ here!" Jess yells, already down the street. I take that cue and rush down the stairs.

"And make sure you keep her mouth clean!"

"Will do, Mrs. Dawson! Come on, Eevee!" Eevee quickly falls in step with me as we sprint to the end of the street. Jess is waiting for us there, arms crossed and left foot tapping in a slow rhythm. We slow down to a jog and eventually to a walk. I reach Jess and she hits me harder.

"Ow!"

"That's what you get for getting my hopes up and trying to leave without me," she says, frowning. "Also, don't ever become a writer. That was the worst piece of prose I think I have ever read."

"It was from the heart," I say, shrugging sheepishly.

"'_You're more than the best friend I've ever had. I love you.' _If that was from the heart, your heart is a real shithole."

"Hey, your mother said I have to keep your mouth clean."

Jess then grabs me and kisses me. She pushes me off of her, grinning.

"Any dirt in there?"

"I don't know, you might need to try again so I can test more…"

"Wow, never _ever _be a poet."

The sky is still a light gray as we walk. Soon, Mahogany Town is just a gray blob on the horizon, getting smaller and smaller. Route 42 winds through a the edge of a mountain range, next to the huge Mt. Mortar. Tall Spruce trees fill up the landscape alongside giant mossy boulders and the occasional lake. Jess and I walk the gravel pathway in silence. She doesn't seem to be too broken up about me almost ditching her, and personally, even without the fact that we're kind of a thing now, I'm glad that she is coming with me. It is a long journey, even if we take the shortcut around two larger lakes in the center of the path instead of going through the Mt. Mortar cave system. Eevee walks between us, next to her Aipom. The two seem to be hitting it off pretty well.

"There's Lake Mortar!" I say, pointing ahead. A large crystal-blue lake spreads out in front of us. On the south side of the lake is a huge, dense forest, and on the North side is the foot of Mt. Mortar.

"Good observation. Break for lunch?"

"Sure." We walk to a couple large rocks to the side of the path. Aipom runs up to a berry tree and reappears at the top, Oran Berry in paw. As Jess and I sit down at the rocks, Eevee runs up and jumps into my lap. He cuddles up between my legs and rests his head. He weighs a bit more than I would have expected.

"Eevee, I'm trying to eat." Eevee looks up at me, makes an obvious yawn, and blinks. He wriggles a bit in my lap and puts his head back down. "Eevee!" He makes a gurgling sound and rolls over onto his back.

"You're some trainer, Jace," Jess laughs, handing me a small sandwich. I take it from her, rolling my eyes.

"I haven't even had any bonding time with him yet. He doesn't even have a name yet!"

"You're going to give him a name? You don't strike me as one of _those_ trainers."

"Hey, naming a Pokémon is a good way to bond with it."

"Says you," Jess retorts. "My Aipom doesn't have a name, and he listens to me all the time." She pulls an apple out of her bag and rubs it on her sleeve. With a sudden rustle, her Aipom jumps out of the tree and starts barreling toward her.

"Uh, Jess?"

"What? Are you telling me I need to bond with my Aipom?" She hasn't noticed the purple bullet heading straight toward her. Instead, she inspects the apple calmly.

"Maybe?"

"Jace, I know what—I—Aipom, what the _hell_?" At the last second before hitting her, Aipom had jumped right over her head. In shock, she raises her arms in defense, dropping the apple. Aipom's hand-tail grabs the apple before it even hits the ground. It runs back to the berry tree, grinning like a maniac.

"Hey! Give that back!" Jess scrambles up and rushes to the berry tree while I sit and laugh, rubbing Eevee's belly. As she jumps to try and get the apple back from Aipom, I pick up Eevee and pull him close to my face.

"You want a name, little buddy?"

Eevee's nose twitches and his eyes gleam brightly.

"I'll take that as a yes." I set him back down and take another bite of my sandwich. Eevee tilts his head expectantly. "What do I even call you?" I take a bite out of my sandwich and stand up. Meanwhile, Jess is still distracted with Aipom.

"Do you like puns?"

Eevee growls with a surprising ferocity. There goes any punny elemental name I could use for an evolution. "Fine, calm down."

Eevee's tail wags.

"Keith?"

Eevee growls again, but less fiercely. Either he just really hates puns, or I'm getting closer.

"Well, you gotta help me out here, dude. There are millions of things I could call you." I take another bite out of my sandwich.

"Hey, Jace, if you could stop having bro-time with that fuzzball, could you help me out?" Jess yells, exasperated. She's given up trying to reason with Aipom, and the chimp sits in a branch just out of her reach, enjoying the apple.

I stroll over, Eevee right behind me, and hand her the rest of my sandwich. "This is basically the best I can do. I suggest you train your Pokémon a bit better."

Jess groans and slides down the trunk of the tree, defeated. Aipom climbs down the trunk and sets all of what's left of the apple, the core, on top of her head and grins cheekily. She sighs and takes the apple off of her head. She pulls a Pokéball out of her pocket and brings it up to Aipom. In a flash of red, Aipom disappears into the ball. "He's not usually like this," she says. "He must just be excited to be on the road."

Eevee hops toward her and snuggles in next to her side. Jess smiles and lifts her arm with the Pokéball in it up so Eevee can fit himself underneath. Instead of cuddling up to her, Eevee jumps up and knocks the Pokéball out of her hand. As the ball falls, Eevee whips it with its tail and sends it flying with enough force that Aipom is brought out of the ball. Once it realizes what happened, Aipom starts to roll on the ground, chattering loudly. Eevee trots over to me happily and rubs up against my calf. Jess and I just laugh in belief.

"We could call these two Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dumb," she suggests, glaring at Eevee. Eevee growls again, but playfully. Jess ignores it and focuses instead on chasing her Aipom again, who has grabbed the Pokéball he came from and doing all he can to keep it from her.

"How about Erebus?" I say, shrugging. "Seems oddly fitting." I look at Eevee. He looks at me, head cocked, as if he is still considering it.

"Erebus? What do you say?"

He yips happily. He seems to like it. I smile, bend down, and scratch his ear. "Looks like you're Erebus from now on, buddy."

"Well, that's just too cute," rasps an all-too familiar voice behind me. I whirl around and find I'm face to face with him. In the light, underneath his black cap, I can finally look into his eyes. They're a cold gray, as icy as the Sneasel he carries around with him. And speaking of Sneasel, it walks out behind him, grinning with malice. My eyes widen, and in the corner of my field of view, I see Erebus slowly step backwards, ears back and eyes sharp. Jess is nowhere to be found. It's just me and the man.

"Back, Sneasel," he snaps. The Sneasel's smile fades and it scurries back behind him. "I'd like to extend a formal apology for the mess that happened last night, boy." His hand extends, but I'm wary to reach mine out to meet it. He notices and grins. He moves his hand up to the brim of his cap and removes it. Underneath the cap, his hair is graying, but clearly it used to be a very dark brown. It's cut short in a crew cut, and underneath the hair, I can see what looks like a claw scratch along the side of his left temple.

"I can understand that you aren't too eager to extend pleasantries," he says. "I can understand, your _mother_ must have taught you well before she ran off."

"What did you do with her?"

"Easy with those verbal jabs, Hitmonchan. I don't know what you're talking about." Erebus growls fiercely behind me. "Erebus," he continues, in a mocking tone, "that's not very nice for such a cute little guy.

"I thought he was a rat."

"You've got a good memory, kid. But listen. Believe it or not, I need your help. See, I'm looking for a man named Gold. I believe you might know him. See, I was supposed to kidnap his family. Must've slipped my mind, because I've only got half of it. Do you know how you can help me out?"

So that must mean I'm Gold's son. I step back nervously, and Erebus moves around my legs and stands between me and the man, growling again.

"You must have bonded a bit. _Erebus_ seems to be pretty protective of you. Listen, if you come willingly, I won't have to separate you—

"Aipom! Fling!" screams a voice behind me. A whizzing blur flies past my head and hits the man in the temple, knocking him over.

"_OW! What the—_"

"Jace! _RUN!"_

I don't need to be told twice. Erebus and I turn heel and book it toward Jess, who is already headed for the entrance to a nearby cave. I pull up next to her and she looks at me. "We can lose him in the cave if we keep running!" she shouts. I nod and turn to my left, where our Pokémon are running next to us.

"Erebus! Sand attack! See if you can't get us a little cover!" Erebus yips obediently and spins around, creating a huge wave of dirt and grass shards.

"Aipom, help him out! We're almost there!" Jess' Aipom does the same, and soon, a wall of dirt is hanging in the air behind us. We can hear angry and pained screaming coming from behind the cloud of sand. I can only assume that some got in the man's or his Sneasel's eyes and they've been temporarily blinded. The four of us bolt inside the cave.

"Jess, come on!"

Jess is still stuck at the edge of the cave, watching carefully behind a rock. "I don't think he saw us come in here!" she whispers excitedly.

"Well, we either went into the forest or in here," I whisper back. "And as this was a closer option, this is gonna be the first place he'll look. We have to keep moving."

Jess nods and jogs over to me. We walk deeper into the cave, giving time for our eyes to adjust. Erebus trots ahead of us, sniffing the rocky ground, unfazed by the darkness. In the dim light, I can make out many sprawling pathways. We're in a giant room, with cliffs about 30 feet high. The commotion of a waterfall splashes about two dozen yards away. Aipom, clearly not used to the darkness, scurries up Jess and perches on her shoulder. Jess herself, usually the embodiment of confidence, is also uneasy with her surroundings. But still we press on in the darkness, not daring to make a light source in fear of being found.


	7. Chapter 7: Ariana

**Chapter Seven: Ariana**

Jess and I have been walking in the cave for about two hours. The gushing of the waterfalls inside the cave system has been growing and shrinking constantly as we move. Apart from the occasional Zubat flying above us, we see no wild Pokémon. Jess, Erebus, and I walk in a single-file line, Erebus first, sniffing the ground gaily. Jess' Aipom has not left her shoulder, and gradually she has been leaning further and further forward. I'm bringing up the rear, deep in thought.

What if we're found in this cave by that man? What if he brings backup? What if that backup has even stronger Pokémon than the man's Sneasel? Who _is_ the man that is chasing us? What does he want with my family?

"Alright, Aipom, you big lug." Jess' sudden exclamation snaps me back to my senses. She's stopped a few feet ahead of me, leaning on the cave wall, looking, angrily, I'd assume, at the literal monkey on her back. It's hard to see too much detail with the minimal amounts of light in the cave.

"I know you're not a huge fan of the dark, but you're going to have to get off my shoulders." She rolls her shoulders and Aipom gingerly climbs down, clearly not enjoying having to walk from now on.

"Why don't you just put him back in his Pokéball?" I suggest, skirting around the two on the thin path and seeing if I can find an end to the path we're on.

"I would, but he threw his Pokéball at that guy when we were trying to escape and we didn't get a chance to get away." She sighs and tries to walk forward, but Aipom is blocking her path, almost paralyzed with fear. "Stupid monkey," she says, "is afraid of the dark. Do you think we can stop here for a while so I can rest my shoulders?" Erebus stops sniffing a couple yards away and watches us anxiously, as if he wants us to keep going. I definitely feel the same way.

"Hey, Aipom," I say, crouching down and extending my hand toward the monkey. "It's alright, come on up here." Aipom looks at my outstretched hand, and then back at Jess. She shrugs. Aipom smiles and scurries up my arm and onto my shoulder. He's a little heavy, but I can manage. Jess smiles and walks up to me.

"You've got a way with Pokémon, Gold, Jr.," she says softly, kissing me on the cheek. We turn to Erebus, who is already headed further down the path, nose to the ground. I slip my hand into Jess' and we follow.

"Couldn't you just use another Pokéball to put Aipom in?" I ask. "I mean, it's not like a Pokémon is limited to one Pokéball when it's captured, is it?"

"Unfortunately, that's how it works," Jess says. "You're welcome to try and recapture him in any of the spare Pokéballs I've got in my bag, but you'll only be wasting your time and my money."

"You doing okay?"

"Am I okay? I'm fine. If anything, you should be the one you're worried about."

"I know, but your usual good demeanor isn't that good today."

"Well, I'm worried about you, isn't that obvious?"

"I guess so."

We walk in silence, hand in hand for a few minutes, walking behind Erebus as he zigzags across the path in front of us, when he suddenly stops dead in his track next to a rocky overhang.

"What is it, Erebus?"

Erebus merely growls and takes a step back.

"Erebus?"

Erebus yips a couple times. He takes another step back. From underneath the overhang, a soft and eerie sound emerges. It sounds sort of like the bark of a Houndour, if it was mixed with a gust of wind. I'm not even entirely sure I heard it the first time, but after none of us move, the sound is made a second time.

"Erebus…"

Jess is squeezing my hand hard enough to crack my knuckles, but the noise barely registers in my ear as a movement from underneath the overhang. In the faint light of the cave, a large animal slowly emerges. The figure is on four legs, and even so, it is still tall enough that its head is at our chest. On its head are two bright, crimson eyes. It looks to have light colored fur, but I can barely make out its shape in the dark. Jess and I take a step backwards, and Erebus yips again. The figure doesn't make a noise, but instead looks down at Erebus.

"Jason, do something," Jess whispers in my ear. But for some reason, I am frozen. The eyes flash up to me and my pupils lock with the beast's. For a second, I am terrified, but then I realize that there is only calm in its eyes.

"Jess, I don't think anything will happen." I let go of her hand and reach out with my other hand. The eyes watch my fingers until they are fully extended, and then it walks toward me. The beast's head is about to touch my hand when…

"Flash!"

Instantly, the entire cave lights up. For a split second, I see white fur brush past me as the beast runs back to wherever it came from. Then everything is far too bright. Aipom loses his grip on my shoulder and tumbles down to the ground in a distinct thud. I strain to keep my eyes open, but I can't. Erebus is yipping, dazzled by the sudden burst of light, but its all I can do to just stay cognizant of what's going on.

"Well, look who we have here," a woman's voice booms. I can't tell if her voice is that loud, or if it's an effect of the wide space of the cavern we're in.

"My, my," the voice continues, "Cliff _was_ right. You do look just like your father. That's probably good for Team Rocket. It's easy to spot someone when he looks like the one personally responsible for our downfall.

"And who's this? Well, Mr. Gold 2.0, isn't this one a cutie? Is she in love with you, or your family name?" the voice jeers. By this time, I can somewhat see again. I look to the direction of the voice. Up in front of us, on top of the rocky overlook, stands the woman. She's a slightly larger woman who looks to be about 60 years old, with white hair in a tight bun that, in a few strands, shine red in the light, like her eyes. She's wearing heavy black combat boots and black tights. She also wears a white skirt, a white top with a red _R_ on the left breast pocket, and a bored expression. Next to her, _he_ stands, and next to him is that cursed Sneasel. The source of the light is coming from the center of a giant purple and red flower—a Vileplume—standing right next to her.

"I gotta admit, that was a pretty smart use of your sand-attacks," he starts.

"Stuff it, Cliff. Almost anything would be smart to you. You're lucky we found these two before we had to report to the boss. I would get a demotion, no doubt, but you'd be lucky to be part of Team Rocket." Cliff instantly quiets down, slumping his shoulders. The woman slowly and gracefully walks down off of the overhang and toward Jess and me. Jess is looking at her with a murderous glare. She shares that look with Erebus, but the woman isn't concerned.

"I think it would be wise to call off your Eevee, as well as whatever monster your little girlfriend is," she says, shooting a glance at Jess. "After all, we're all friends here, aren't we?"

"I already don't like you," Jess says, squeezing her hands into fists.

"Feisty. Team Rocket could use a grunt like you."

"I thought Team Rocket wasn't around anymore," I venture bravely.

At this statement, the woman stops, closes her eyes, and laughs softly. "You're _technically_ correct, dear boy." She stops, a puzzled expression on her face. "I'm sorry," she continues, "I don't think we've been properly introduced. The name's Ariana Miota. Go on, you can shake my hand. I won't bite you, unless…provoked." She smiles, a pointed grin that only makes me feel more uncomfortable.

"Jason Walker…" I say, slowly. I refuse to shake her hand.

"Ah, well, Mr. Walker, as you may know, Team Rocket is looking for a man named Gold. As it so happens, that man happens to be your father. You wouldn't happen to know where he is, do you?"

"No, not at all," I say honestly.

"And he wouldn't tell you if he did!" Jess adds angrily.

"I advise you to hold your tongue if you're partial to it," Miota says quickly. Jess shrinks back behind me.

"Oh, I don't mean to frighten you kids," Miota continues. "Cliff might have been a little…harsh…but we never meant to take you children anywhere. Merely ask a few questions and be on our way." She turns back to Cliff. "Why don't you toss down that Pokéball you got earlier. I bet that Aipom isn't too happy having nowhere to go."

Cliff grudgingly drops the ball at Ariana's feet. She crouches down and picks it up, turns, and tosses it to Jess, who catches it warily.

"Now are you absolutely_ positive _you have no idea how to find him?" she says, a slightly concerned expression that I'm not sure is real appearing on her face. Nothing about this woman seems even remotely sincere. Fortunately, I don't have to lie. I shrug my shoulders. She nods solemnly.

"Fair enough. I know that Gold was always a rather quiet kid. I knew him before he was a champion, you know. I was a member of Team Rocket during the Radio Tower Fiasco. Thanks to him, I had to go into hiding for a few years. I'd really like to see him. I learned a lot in my forced exile and I'd like to thank him for it."

With that, she turns from us and walks further down the path. She walks slowly, yet confidently. Her Vileplume follows her like a soldier to its commander, and so does Cliff's Sneasel. Cliff, on the other hand, has trouble getting down and nearly falls. When he makes it to the path, instead of following Miota, he stalks toward us.

"Listen, punks. I'm not through with you. Not by a long shot."

"Oh, Cliff!" Miota calls from a bend in the path a few yards away. "Are you coming?"

"Yes, Ariana," he mumbles.

Jess and I stand there in the fading light, confused. I turn to look at Jess to ask her what she made of the whole situation, but before a word comes out of my mouth, she sprints after the two.

"Jess, what are you…of course, you've gotta be a hero. Come on, Erebus." With Aipom still on my shoulder, and Erebus at my side, we chase after her.

"Jess, what the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? It's been less than a day since Cliff, if that's even his real name, stole your mom. He's probably got her somewhere in here."

"Jess, I really don't think—"

"_Shh_! We're catching up!"

The light is getting brighter again and we slow to a brisk walk. We round the corner and see Cliff and Miota walking calmly and silently, not twenty feet in front of us. Aipom scurries off my back and walks behind us. Erebus walks beside us.

We follow them for a few minutes and no one says a word, until Cliff speaks.

"I still say that was a dumb move."

"Silence. As long as we get to the entrance to Mt. Mortar before them, we can and _will_ take them by surprise."

"But Archer said—"

"I am well aware of what Archer said."

"Then why didn't we take them out just then?"

"If we cause too much of a commotion, we might not be able to get out, due to rockslides. It's safer if we capture them where we aren't actually risking our lives."

Jess gasps. Aipom, grabbing onto my left leg, shudders. Erebus growls softly, too quietly to be heard more than five feet away, fortunately for us. I grab Jess' arm. "_We need to get out of here,_" I whisper. She nods and is about to turn away with me when Cliff speaks up again.

"You know, we could have offered them a way out and just captured them easier."

"Yes, I suppose. We could have had the ambush here. It doesn't look like there's much room for escape."

"If only."

"Yes, if only." Miota pulls out a Pokéball and tosses it in front of her, releasing a black and vicious looking bird.

"Murkrow, why don't you fly toward the exit and watch for our bait there?"

With a caw, the bird flies off into the darkness.

"That damned bird always makes me nervous, Ariana."

"Well, can you afford to be nervous for the next five minutes?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because we'll need her to keep the stragglers from escaping. I hope you don't mind, Jason." My eyes widen. A rush of feathers and another caw from behind me confirm my fears. Jess reaches for my hand and grasps it. It's cold as ice.

"But my name's Cli—oh, I get it," Cliff says, turning around.

Miota also turns, that angled grin wide on her face again.

"Thank you, young lady. I figured you would be the one rash enough to think she's a hero." She takes a step forward and Jess squeezes my hand even tighter. "Team Rocket could use someone goal-oriented like you. It pays quite well, too."

The color from Jess' face has been drained. "No…"

"Weak in the knees?" Cliff says in mock concern. "Feeling a little sick? We can't have a future member of Team Rocket with such a low immune system."

"Leave her alone, Cliff," I say, mustering up what little courage I have.

"Well, look who decided to grow a pair!" He grins.

"Erebus!"

"I don't think so. Sneasel!"

Without ushering a single command, the Sneasel races toward Erebus and pins him underneath its sharp claws. Its sickening smile reappears.

"You gonna try using that monkey on me too?" he says to Jess. I turn to tell her no, that it's useless, but when I see her, I don't even see Jess. I just see a girl barely controlling a blinding rage.

"Jess…Jess…it's not worth it."

"He's right, Jess," Miota chimes in. "Fighting would not be a wise course of action. We have you outgunned."

"No! Aipom! Give it your all! Use swift!"

"I don't think so," Miota says calmly, pulling out a Pokéball.

"For God's sake, Jess, don't!" I shout, but I can barely reach her. Aipom darts out from under me, toward Cliff's Sneasel, but before it can get there, it is pounded as the Murkrow behind us slams into it. Aipom skids across the ground and comes to a halt near a large, mossy boulder.

"Aipom, _no!_" Jess screams, fumbling with its Pokéball in her hands. Aipom slowly gets up, but then falls to his knees, raggedly breathing. A conspicuous welt is already growing on his lower back.

"Now that _that's_ done," Miota says, the bored expression returning to her face, "we can actually get a job done." She tosses her Pokéball into the air. "Arbok, use wrap." A large purple cobra explodes out of the tiny red ball and slithers toward us faster than our eyes can follow. It slips around both of us, and despite all we can do, we are trapped in its scaly embrace.


	8. Chapter 8: Escape

**Chapter Eight: Escape**

Miota steps toward us, lips pursed and eyes lowered. "You've got guts, Mr. Walker, I'll give you that. Team Rocket could definitely use a recruit like you."

"Like he'd ever join Team Rocket!" Jess sneers defiantly, spitting at her feet. Miota's eyes widen, and her red eyes flash with anger, but when she opens her mouth to speak, her voice is calm and collected.

"Spirit can get you in a lot of places, Jess. It is Jess? Is that what you said her name was, Jason?" She runs her hand softly underneath my chin. Her skin is soft and cold. "For example," she continues, "It can get you on the bad side of an Arbok. I'd advise you to be a bit more careful."

A squeeze at my side reminds me of the giant snake that has wrapped itself around us. Thousands of tiny needles prick my legs and arms. The giant head of the snake looks up expectantly at Miota. It's black forked tongue slips in and out of its mouth like a worm. Miota brings her other hand to rest on its head and it hisses softly, clearly proud of what its accomplished. Jess tries to wriggle out of it, but to no avail. It squeezes us harder, making it a challenge to merely breathe.

"Why do you want us?" I ask.

"Leverage, mostly," Miota says. "See, Team Rocket has some big plans, and your father plays a big part in them. Understandably, though, he doesn't seem too interested in helping us out. See, back in the day, we got into a couple fights."

"Let us go or else we'll give you a fight."

"Jessica, my dear, what did I say about your spirit?"

"Let us go," I say uneasily.

"Is that a hint of your father's bravery?" Miota asks, her crooked grin reappearing. "You know, I battled your father in the radio tower thirty years ago. Excellent battler. Not so smart anywhere else."

"What do you mean?" I ask. I can feel my blood start to boil. _Gotta keep your cool, Jace_, I think.

"Well, we were only trying to send a transmission to our dear leader, that's all. He had to block our call. How inconsiderate."

I had heard this story before. Thirty years ago, Gold had prevented the rebirth of Team Rocket single-handedly at the famed Radio Tower in Goldenrod. The Rockets had been trying to find their leader, Mr. Giovanni, who still to this day has not been found. Gold raided the tower and stopped them.

"So what do you want with Gold?" Jess asks, wriggling, as if she can get out of the entrapment. Miota smiles at her.

"That is none of your business. He merely has some information that we need to know. Hopefully the thought of his loved ones dying is enough for him to cough up some facts."

"What?!" I'm shaking from both a mixture of fear and rage. They haven't killed my mother. They…they couldn't have.

"Oh, relax, Jason. Your father has a big heart, and I'm sure that he'll come to your aid before you _or_ your mother dies." She must have seen the wave of relief wash across my face, because she adds, "either that, or you've got about three days of wishful thinking."

"He'll stop you. He did it before."

"You really believe that Gold _stopped_ Team Rocket?" Ariana says with a surprised laugh. "The world isn't that easy to figure out. But Team Rocket's always been around, whether children are there to get in the way or not."

Miota rises and turns. "Cliff!" Cliff salutes. "I'm going to recall Arbok now. Make sure our new friends feel so welcome that they never want to leave our care. I have to go phone the boss. Try not to mess this one up."

Arbok releases us and slithers after its master. Jess and I collapse on the floor, finally able to freely breathe again. I cough once and taste a little blood on the back of my tongue. My fists clench and I push myself up off the ground. Jess rushes over to Aipom. Cliff laughs.

"Don't even bother trying to escape, kid," he says, folding his arms. "You won't make it out—"

"I'm not going anywhere," I say, hands still balled into fists. "Get your stupid weasel off of Erebos," I sneer, motioning to the Sneasel, who sees this and growls at me. Cliff motions to the Sneasel, who leaps off, not once taking its eyes off of me. Erebos rolls to his feet and trots to me, whimpering.

"Look who's acting all _in charge_," Cliff grunts. "My Pokémon are _leagues_ stronger than your own."

"I don't care about your Pokémon. Jess?"

Jess doesn't respond. She's still leaning over her Aipom, shaking. I step over to her. "How's he doing?"

She looks up. Her eyes are wet, and I can see a tear coming down. "He's still alive," she says shakily, "but he's not doing so hot."

"Where's his Pokéball?"

She gestures to where the two of us were trapped and I see it, lying closed on the cave floor. She picks up the monkey and walks toward the ball, glaring at Cliff. "This is all your fault."

"Don't wet yourself, princess. I did what had to be done."

"If Aipom dies…"

"It'll be one less smelly ape I have to deal with."

"_You piece of—_"

"Jess, stop," I interject, putting an arm on her shoulder. "He's just trying to get a rise out of you."

"It's working."

"I'd suggest you cool it, princess," Cliff threatens, "because the only one Ariana wants is your boyfriend over there. I'm sure that you don't really matter in the grand scheme of things."

"Why, you…"

"Jess, stop!" I yell, but it's too late. She gingerly sets Aipom down on the ground and charges at Cliff, screaming obscenities. Cliff smiles and rushes at her. He grabs her around the waist and throws her into the cave wall. She somehow manages to get up, and when she faces Cliff again, I can see blood trickling down from what looks like a big gash on the edge of her hairline.

"Sneasel, you know what to do." The Sneasel springs into action, its sharp claws extending out towards Jess' neck. She shrinks back to the wall in horror, and I watch, unable to do anything. Jess ducks away at the last second and rolls to the side. Sneasel's claws bash against the hard rock a mere three inches away from her head.

"Icy Wind!"

"Erebus, use tackle!" Erebus sprints toward the Sneasel as a cold breeze begins to waft through the tunnel. Before Sneasel manages to send the wind at Jess, Erebus slams into it, sending the two of them flying back into the wall. Sneasel shakes off Erebus, who is reeling from hitting the wall, and prepares another Icy Wind. Jess is now trapped between two rocks. I am still stuck a few feet away, as if already frozen.

The Sneasel is about to finish the attack when suddenly, a terrifying howl is heard from above us. Before any of us know what is going on, a flash of white fur appears out of nowhere and smashes into the Sneasel, sending it flying in an icy blast. The creature stops and lifts its head toward Cliff. The beast is covered in fine white fur, save for its dark, bluish black face. A single black horn stands erect on the right side of its head. Its eyes glow fiercely with a red blaze that seems brighter than even the bright light emanating from the Vileplume over on the side of the room. Cliff is about to say something, but he is immediately silenced as the beast howls. The howl echoes in the tunnel for a few seconds, and every living being is struck at the awesome presence of this creature. It glances at me, and instantly, that red blaze in them becomes familiar. This was the same creature that appeared before Cliff and Miota found us.

"What…what is it?" I ask, eyes wide.

"It looks like an Absol," Jess says. "I've heard that there is small pack of Absol further north of here. They're said to appear right before a disaster occurs. They try to warn people of doom."

"An Absol…"

The Absol slowly walks toward Cliff, growling. Cliff takes a few steps back and fumbles with a Pokéball. Sneasel is passed out on the ground next to him. The Vileplume steps forward as if it is about to attack. Absol eyes it warily and barks roughly.

"What is going on here?" Miota screams, briskly walking back into view. In her hand is a phone. "Can I not take a call in…I'm going to have to get back to you. It seems these twerps have made friends with an Absol."

She hangs up the phone and motions to Vileplume. "Poison Powder."

A burst of fine powder spurts out over the Absol and immediately, it wavers on its feet, immediately weakened by the poison. Miota grins. "Excellent, Vileplume, now use Petal Dance. Get rid of it."

But before Vileplume gets a chance to do anything, Absol roars again and charges, suddenly losing all signs of its weakened state. It plows into the Vileplume and sends the creature flying into the rock, where it falls, knocked out, next to the Sneasel. Its light that it made flickers and starts to fade. The Absol looks at me, and then the pathway that Miota came from. I understand immediately.

"Jess, recall Aipom, and let's go. Erebus, return." I draw Erebus back into his ball and spring toward Miota.

"Aipom, return. Aipom…Aipom come on…shit…" Jess runs back to her Aipom and picks it up, running after me toward Miota. Absol then rushes, faster than either of us, at Miota. Miota leaps out of the way just in time for the two of us to rush past her, ambling into the darkness.

We've been running for about five minutes now. There is still light flickering through cracks in the wall, so we must be close to the other end of the cave system. It's our only hope now. In the background, we can't hear the battle raging as that Absol gives us time to escape. Judging from the light seeping through the cracks, it feels like it's about sunset.

We turn left, then right, then left again, and suddenly a great light emerges. The exit. Jess and I double our speed, and suddenly we're out of the cave and into a small clearing of forest. To our left and right are two large lakes, glittering in the sunset like crystals. We slow down next to a huge rock, where I catch my breath and Jess takes a look at Aipom.

"Aipom, are you okay?" she says, shaking his head slightly. After a few moments, Aipom's eyes slowly open and it moans weakly. Jess smiles, tears falling from her face as she picks him up and holds him tightly.

"Why didn't you just recall him?" I ask.

"This is why," she says, tossing Aipom's Pokéball at me. I catch it and inspect it closely. Sure enough, a giant crack has appeared right across the white underbelly of the ball. "We've got ourselves a defunct Pokéball now. Now come on, we need to get into those trees in case Ariana or Cliff come out."

"Right." We jog to the edge of the clearing and pass the first line of trees when a blast from behind us shakes us off our feet and into the ground. Hiding behind a tree, we look back to what is going on. As the smoke clears, we see the Absol running out and spinning on its heels so it can face the cavern. Next comes the giant three-headed dragon that I saw three years ago, what very much looks like the shadow that was chasing my father on his Dragonite. Cliff walks out behind it, Ariana behind him. Both of them are looking very weak and scratched up.

"Cliff, leave it. That damned Absol is not the problem."

"I don't care. I'm going to _kill _it!"

"No, you're going to listen to your superior officer. We need to find that boy, and we need to find him now. You don't have to worry about finishing it off. Vileplume's poison should be good enough." She climbs on the dragon and motions for him to follow. He grudgingly does, and the two fly back over the mountains and disappear.

Jess exhales in relief and slides down the tree branch. "We made it."

But I'm not even paying attention to her. As the last few rays of the sun's light start to disappear, my attention is completely on the Absol wandering around the clearing, as if lost. With each step it takes, it seems to be taking another step toward its death. I can't take it anymore. I rush from the cover of the trees to see if I can help the Absol in any way.

"Jace, are you sure it's safe?" I hear Jess say through gritted teeth. "Jace? Jace! _Jace!_ Oh, damn you and your bleeding heart."

I am about fifteen steps from the Absol when it suddenly turns to me. Its eyes are dim, but there is still a large amount of energy in them. Absol stands proudly, despite being minutes away from passing out, and looks me deeply into the eyes. He's a very proud Pokémon, and even though it's so weak, there is a certain elegance and terrible beauty in the way it holds itself. I crouch down and reach my hand out like I did when we saw it the first time.

"Hey there. Remember me? You saved me from those guys. You're a hero." I smile, and Absol's eyes lose some of their ferocity. It steps weakly toward me, as if to reach out to my hand, but its eyes dim and it falls face-forward in front of me with a loud sigh. Immediately I spring up and leap the last few feet until I am at its side. I reach down and try to feel for breath. Absol is still breathing, but the breathing is very weak.

"Jess, do you have any potions or antidotes or anything in your bag?"

"I…I think I have a potion in here somewhere," she says, rustling in her bag. A couple Pokéballs fall out. Aipom, who had slowly followed me out here, weakly grabs one. "Ah, here." She hands me a purple squirt bottle. "It's my last one."

"Wonderful."

"Hey, I didn't know…"

"No," I say, raising my hand to stop her. "I know it's not you. I'm just stressing out here." I take the squirt bottle in one hand and Absol's head in the other. Its eyes are dim, but still following my actions.

"Open your mouth, bud," I say to it. "You saved my life, so I feel like returning the favor. Absol obediently opens its mouth, and I spray the contents in. Absol shuts its eyes and I feel its head grow heavier in my hands. I sit down and let it rest on my thigh. Absol's breathing shudders, and then gets a little steadier. I smile. It should be alright for a little while.

Overhead, a small thundering noise becomes prominent. It sounds like a Helicopter. Could it be Team Rocket? We need to get Absol out of the clearing. And we ourselves need to be out of the clearing as well. I rack my brain for a solution.

"Jess, do you know what type of berries help with poisons?"

"Uh, hold on, I have a field guide."

"See if you can find any berries at all, and meet me by the trees we hid at. I'm going to get Absol out of this clearing."

"Right." She rushes off, and I try to lift Absol, but it's dead weight. It might be a little further from death, but I know that trying to get it to move might be the worst idea if I want to keep it alive. I look around for an easier way to move it, and I spot Aipom and two fresh Pokéballs that must have fallen out of Jess' bag when she was looking for the potion. I reach over and grab one. Meanwhile, the noise of the helicopter gets louder. A bright searchlight appears on the blackening horizon. I've got to act faster.

"Listen, Absol. I'm going to put you in this Pokéball. You'll be safe in there until we can get you some berries. Is that alright?" There's no answer, but I doubt Absol will be strong enough to break out of it. I touch the Pokéball's button to its head and slowly, Absol glows red. It becomes a single red light, and then gets sucked into the ball. The ball wriggles briefly and weakly in my hand, but it stops after only a second. I get up and am about to make a break for it when suddenly Aipom, me, and a ten-foot radius around me is bathed in blinding light.

"_DON'T MOVE,_" shouts a familiar voice. "_DO NOT RUN. THERE IS DANGER OUT THERE. WE DO NOT WANT TO ATTRACT DANGER._" A rope ladder falls to the side of me, and a figure slides down it.

"Do not you worry," the figure says, taking off his helmet. "You are the most safe from danger when you're in the hands of the International Police."

"Looker!"

"You recognize me! That is most excellent news, my boy," Looker frowns. "Now come with me to my helicopter. We can get you to a safe place most secretly."

Secretly my ass, I'm about to say, but you really shouldn't look a gift Ponyta in the mouth. "My friend, Jess, is out there looking for berries," I shout over the noise of the helicopter. "We have to wait for her!"

"_YOU ASSHOLES LEAVE HIM ALONE!"_

"It seems we don't have to wait that much after all."

Jess comes flying in from the direction of the trees, and is about to pounce on Looker, but I manage to hold her back before she does any damage. Looker frowns in surprise and what looks like a trace of fear, and then sticks his hand onto his chin as if thinking. "I do believe your friend could prove dangerous!"

"_YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT I DO!"_

"Jess…" I start, finally starting to calm her down. "He's on our side!"

"Oh." She sheepishly stops and looks up at him, extending an arm and grinning, her face turning beet red. "I'm Jess."

"Now is not the time for introductions," Looker shouts. "We have to get in the air as quietly as possible!"

"I don't think you know what quiet means, Looker."

"What did you say, Jason?"

"I said 'let's go!'"

We're inside the hull of the chopper, where it is a little quieter. The walls are a dark gray and uninteresting. A solitary strip of white fluorescent light lights up the area in an uneasy glow. Looker sits across from me, his hand resting on Aipom, who seems to have taken a liking to the man. His eyes shift from me to Jess to Aipom. Jess is leaning into me, sleeping. My right arm rests on her shoulder, and the Pokéball containing the Absol is in my left hand.

"Will we be arriving in Ecruteak soon?"

"Very soon," Looker responds. "Your Absol should be most healthy after a trip through the hospital. From my reading, Ecruteak has the finest Pokémon hospital in the entirety of Johto."

"Awesome." I grip the Pokéball tighter in my hand. "How did you find us?"

"We are the international police. We are without mistake in our searching skills. I found out that you had left Mahogany Town and we have been searching for you since." Looker looks down, and then back up at me, intensely. "I am afraid that I must trouble you for a few minutes as I tell you a terrible secret."

"That my father is Gold and that he's being bribed with the life of my mother to do something for Team Rocket?"

His pupils shrink and his eyes widen. His frown intensifies in surprise. "How…how did you know?"

"Team Rocket got to tell me first. Is there anything else you can tell me about them, or what they want?"

Looker frowns. "Well, I suppose you understand that Team Rocket has never been completely disbanded."

"Ariana mentioned that."

"You escaped from Ariana?"

"With the help of this Absol."

"Ariana is one of the highest ranking members of Team Rocket," Looker continues. "She is terrifying. She has been a high target of the international police for years, for her business on the Pokémon black market."

"Black market?"

"Rare, stolen, and unique Pokémon are sold on this black market. It has been suggested that Team Rocket is completely in charge of this worldwide black market of Pokémon, and have been for much over thirty years. I believe that they want Gold for ways of protecting their black market from the likes of the International Police, who are very hot on their trail these days.

"But continue I will on other matters. It has been considered my personal duty to look after you to make sure you are safe from the troubles of Team Rocket. I am glad to report that I did such a job."

"Wait, protect me?"

"Of course. Your father, the great trainer Gold has no knowledge of the International Police."

"How could he not? You never fail to announce your presence," I mutter under my breath.

"However, the International Police have made it a priority to take down Team Rocket before they become a prominent force in Kanto and Johto like they used to be."

"Shouldn't you be worried about the evil organizations that always seem to be springing up every few years or so?"

"No, the International Police usually are beaten there by some young upstanding rookie trainer. They are rarely ever a threat."

"Right." I look behind me, where out a circular window, I see the lights of Ecruteak city. A relatively large city on the outside of Goldenrod, its lights shine bright. The ancient roofs and shiny office buildings make the entire area glow brightly. On the edge of the city, I see a helicopter pad next to an orange roof. A Pokémon center. Absol might just make it.

"I suggest you stay in our most safe apartment that is guarded by our own crack team of Pokémon Police officers. It is next to the Pokémon center, and has an excellent lakeshore view."

"I was actually going to go to Goldenrod…"

"Goldenrod is simply not safe. There are far many members of Team Rocket there. You could be in great danger."

"But my family is there."

"Aha! A lead on your mother!"

"No, no, my grandparents. I want to make sure they're okay."

"They should be. Gold's grandparents are already missing, so if they are on your side of your mother, they will be the most safe."

"Wait, _what_?"

"They are safe."

"No, my _other_ grandparents!"

"The International Police is on it, don't worry."

"Somehow, I still will."

"Well, that is your prerogative," Looker frowns again. "Now we are arriving. It was excellent seeing you again."


End file.
